Why I Support Devolution

Posted by Peter Dowd5sc on April 27, 2016

In a recent interview with Politics First, Peter Dowd, tells Marcus Papadopoulos why he supports city-region devolution and why the Conservative Government needs to stop sending out mixed messages over devolution

Q: Why do you consider city-region devolution to be a good idea?

City-region devolution has been a long-time in the making, and I have been a proponent of devolution for many years now. I believe it is time to take the agenda of devolution forward and welcome the whole process in. Politicians can argue over whether devolution should involve a mayor, a cabinet or a mix of both but the substantive issue, for me, is the devolvement of powers (and the key responsibilities which come with this) to people in cities up and down the UK who serve on the frontline. Of course, the question of governance is very important but it should not impinge upon the principle of devolution in the first place.